Zba - Regular Meeting

as soon as So I don't the city of Bridgeport planning. Um, no, it's not planning and zoning. It's inland wetlands and water course agency will come to order. It is Monday, October 27th. It is 6 p.m. I guess.

Well, that's fast, I think. But anyway, uh the first order of business this evening is to introduce the members seated tonight. To my far right is Eggbert Williams, uh, Solidad Nunees, Caesar Cadero, uh, Vice Chair Bob Morton, myself, chairman Mel Riley. To my left is, um, Bob Felote, secretary, and Johanna Doran.

All right, we can call the first item. First item, application number 25-04 of Southern Connecticut Gas Company to construct a utility bridge over island stream at the addresses of 29 Griffin Avenue, 39 Griffin Avenue, and 43 Griffin Avenue.

Anything to do with Griffin Avenue? Was that Matthew consulted the fine point. Just want to make sure we had Sorry, that was Griffin. Griffin Avenue. Griffin Avenue. Yeah, this is for Griffin Avenue. The um Southern Connecticut Gas wants to put a bridge. There we go. A utility bridge.

Good evening. There we go. Good evening. Matthew Pop, consultant to the agency. This is again just a bridge work on this. We've seen many projects like this in the past and it's just for acceptance. So this would be heard, you know, at the next meeting. Um I don't I would say it's um would need a public hearing. Um it's already disturbed areas of the site. So you I'm I'm sorry I missed that. A public hearing or not? No public. No, it's just No, it's And it's a utility bridge is small anyway. Yep. All right, that sounds simple enough. Does anyone have any questions? This is just for acceptance.

Okay. No point in wasting time. All right. Next item on the uh the agenda, decision session application number 253 of Odit Bedat to remove an existing rear deck and construct a 31 by6 foot rear deck in the same location at the address of One Pine Point Drive.

Again, good evening. I'm Matthew Pop. Uh these existing houses here, uh the lake is right through here. It's peninsula. There's two houses on this peninsula. This house right here ne next to it to the west, we heard an application maybe back two years ago. They took down a couple of trees. They couldn't get insurance for the house with big trees. So, it actually looked pretty good, but they did. Uh, but this is there's a rear deck right through here. There's an existing deck. They're taking it down and expanding it just slightly. Uh, all of the area through here is mainly lawn areas. There's actually lawn up to the lake throughout the area. Then there's large uh deciduous shade trees over here. So, but there's really no understory. Again, this is pretty far away. It's already a lawn area that be taken down one apple tree over here. Um, and we had some recommended uh conditions of approval. Uh, let me just get them. Uh the the first one is just to kind of revise the plan just to add a some additional information that the tree that would was going to be removed wasn't a showing. So we just want to show that on the plan. We want to show an area of disturbance. You know if there's any stockpile area for um you know the lumber we just want to show that on the plan. So that would be with an area of disturbance. Uh the second one, the third one is 1C, which is we want a a 10- foot buffer area along the pond, you know, mainly in the northern area over here. Currently, their lawn goes down to the edge of the pond. Lawns next to ponds aren't uh great. Uh people fertilize them. When it rains, the fertilizers washed into the pond.

So we So again, we want that 10 foot. If it doesn't contain lawn, what what should it be? It would be just a meadow. Meadow. Yeah, be it be cut once a, you know, probably like maybe twice a year or so. But what we're trying to avoid is a lawn that's fertilized and mold every week and Yes.

And um and then around that demarcation just a couple of place boulders so that they're able to tell the difference where the lawn stops kind of where the wetland buffer begins. Um, uh, the second, uh, condition I have is when a project's done, we just want certification in writing. Um, it could actually probably even be from the owner or whoever did the landscaping or, you know, whoever did that. So, we don't need it from an engineer or landscape architect. We just need it from somebody who did the work. And then lastly is a $1,500 uh bond uh to cover the cost for the buffer plantings and just to make sure that everything happens. So it's a $1,500 bond. So a fairly, you know, simple application.

So how much bigger is the new deck than the old deck in percentages? And again, I'm not asking for there's a deck on the side over here. Maybe it's about a third bigger. It's the plan's kind of tough to read. It was fuzzy when it came in. So you if you look at it carefully, you kind of see here. Yeah, the deck extends on the side, too. So if you include that. So okay, you know, maybe another 10. It's not hugely bigger then. No, now we think to that they probably the deck, they may have less lawn underneath it. All right. Any any questions from the commission? No.

Yeah. Let me check. It's going from 316 square ft to 707 square ft. Doubling. So, you're doubling. I don't know if that included the area the deck on the side, but I think just in the back that included. So, but they're taking the deck on the side down. Yes. So, they're taking both deck out. There is a big tree right here, an oak tree. You know, I I kind of thought that that would have been included in the application to remove that tree because it extends kind of over the the house. But again, the only tree is in a rear yard. [snorts]

And they do have kind of a silk fence wrapped around back through here. Okay. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Maybe. I think so. Yeah. Maybe it drop it drop down over towards the You're not going to be able to see it from the street because it's over. You would have to see it over the lake. One tree, one apple tree. May not be able to see that tree.

There we go. I would almost say like if they wanted to take down that big existing oak tree, they take that down. If it comes in, maybe they replace it with, you know, two additional trees somewhere along the same distance to the lake. But they're not requesting. No, they're not requesting. But I'm just thinking if it comes in, you when they're building this, they may say, "Oh, yeah, we want to take it down." Or or it disappears.

Well, that's what the bond is for, too. If the tree disappears, they lose their bond. They may not care about the bond. It's a big tree. So, it cost more than 1,500 bucks to take it down, too. Yes. Well, with that money, should we set the bond higher? Um, You want to make it I mean knowing that I mean I don't know I don't know they you know or they take it down we tell them to come back in here before you and just the process of going through you know new application and all that makes I uh perhaps we should put in our conditions no treat no

addition additional treatment removal. Yeah without approval without approval.

That's a good idea. All right. Would anyone like to speak in favor of this application? Anyone opposed? Seeing no opposition is closed. Thank you. All right. Decision making. So David, that TV isn't going to be working all night.

All right. Not that we've had two whole just curious. All right. Any discussion on Um 253 the deck or 254 first. Oh. Oh, we have to accept it. I'm sorry. Motion to receive. Thank you. Do I have a second? I'll let you pick Paul. I don't know. All right. All in favor?

I. Anyone opposed? Application accepted. Next is now 253 the deck on Pine Point Drive.

Anyone any discussion? Any motion? I I'll move to to accept with conditions. Okay, we're going to add that one condition. No, no addition no additional trees removed but no additional removal without coming before us. I second. All right. All in favor? Anyone opposed? Motion carries. We got minutes from August 25th. So, we got enough.

All right. Does anyone make make a motion to approve the minutes from You can. I can. You're the secretary. He can't He can't make He can't make a motion because he's the secretary. I make a motion to approve. Anyone second? All in favor? I. Anyone opposed? Minutes are approved. 6:15. Right on. Right on the Yeah. Well, yeah, that clock used to be slow. Now it's fast. Motion to adjurnn. Oh, thank you. [laughter] I meeting.

Yeah.

Good night. I don't see I don't see any attorneys. That's our No, we have our you know I mean that's really weird. But there's I mean it's only two items where could be. Yeah. Well, I think it's I think it's not

Yes. I think there was I don't Yeah,

yeah, they kept coming and coming

of the meeting. I thought they were doing meeting minutes. Oh, one thing. There was no So if you want to see if you want to review minutes on the You want to review a meeting, you have to go online, right? You sign in, sign on. Is that Yeah, that's Oh, no. We haven't words. I thought for a meeting and I wanted It's not ready yet.

Secretary came into our office this afternoon with Oh, that's he withdrew. Huh? So

now we get another feed. [laughter] All right. Whenever we're ready whenever you are. have to wait till 6:30. No, 6:15 now. Oh, can we change it to 6:15? Paul, are you ready? We're ready.

All right. The city of Bridgeport Planning and Zoning Commission will come to order. It is Monday, October 27th. It is 6:17 p.m. The first order of business is to introduce the members seated tonight. To my extreme right is um Eggert Williams. Um Ali Akbar. Um uh I was on a route. Uh Caesar Gado Bob Morton um vice chair myself chairman Mel Riley Bob Fodi secretary to my left and Johanna

Morgan Dorian I I First item on the agenda D-125-29 130 H Avenue. We should announce the We should announce the ones that are going to be okay. Item number C125-22 3674 3700 and 3724 Madison Avenue has been withdrawn. So, we're not going to hear that tonight. Um, we won't be hearing it at all. In fact, unless he resubmits. How about the other one, too? Yeah.

Okay. Um, first item on the agenda, D-1, uh, 2529, 130 Hansen Avenue. Okay. So, uh, the secretary was saying that 3674, 3700, 3724 Madison Avenue, the petition to change, um, from N4 to NX3, um, and to expand a parking area and construct a six unit residential building has been withdrawn. Okay. So, they may come back, but it has been withdrawn, so you won't hear it tonight. And they're not hearing it tonight. It's it's out of the public hearing schedule. Sorry Bob.

Petition of Atlantic Coleman LLC seeking a site review site plan review coastal site plan review approval to construct a sixstory six unit apartment building in an NX2 zone in coastal area. Hey Bob, you're talking [laughter] here. These are too close.

Do you have the Good evening. Please um your name and address and what you're here for. Um my first name is Jia A. Last name is HUA. I reside in uh 19 Khill Lane, Wilton, Connecticut. Okay. Um my name is Jenu. I'm the

Yeah, she's architect. Okay.

So, today we come here to try together. Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. So, we are trying to uh get the um the SA side plan uh review for a six family house at the uh 130 Hansen Avenue. Uh there was a a big three family house there was burned. So, we are trying to build a new uh new building with a six family house. Uh it's a a small six family house. the the size going to be similar as before but has more family. So that's yeah so I have our our architecture here and rather to answer any question any any concern yeah

what do you mean

we have a letter from David gave us letter No, I don't know where'd he go. We have a post review is proof. Uh we have the papers.

So really this is this is Well, just here for the coastal, right? Okay. All right. So, Oh, okay. Okay. Great.

Yeah, we have the goucher letter. I just Culture is fun.

Good morning. I need that screen again. We don't have a hearing on this. on this project with the coast. They didn't need a hearing a public hearing. Well, yeah, we haven't, but it's only on coastal,

right? There won't be a public hearing on the six units because we did get a letter from the NRZ. No, I mean the only No, they have it as a postal approve. So the NRZ meeting doesn't mean anything. We got an NRZ letter. As long I mean if they have any coastal objections.

No. I don't understand this. Yeah. Yeah.

Are any of them Germaine? I'm trying to look at my I I can't open up my I don't know why my mail won't open. Well, the NRZ says that the architectural elevation and floor plan drawings show the first floor to be approximately 1.5 ft above grade, but the site plan shows the first floor elevation of approximately six feet above grade.

So, that's that came from the NRT. You got it up. Okay. That's Again, we're it's it's here for just coastal. So,

all right. Does anyone have any questions? Just um bear in mind it's here for a coastal. So, you know, confine your questions to the coastal and we've got an approval from John Goucher. So, would you read that into the record, Mr. Secretary? The voucher letter. Yes. What do I do with it? We gave one to you, didn't we? I don't know. Here's

We received a letter from Gouch, John Goucher. Uh, we have reviewed the above reference coastal site plan review proposal for consistency with Connecticut Coastal Management Act, CCMA, CGS sections 22A-90 through 22A-112. Inclusive policies have no comments for the planning and zoning commission's consideration. This is relative to 130 Hansen Street. It's a coastal um review. All right. I also have I also have two letters. One from the Black Rockck NRZ U against the project and one from a Samantha Neeves uh owner of unit 4E 2980 Madison Avenue also against the project.

No. All right. All right. Does anyone else have any questions for the applicant? David, pardon me. All they're here.

[clears throat]

Good evening, uh, honorable members of the commission. Uh, my name is David Codingham. I'm the design review coordinator with OPED. Um, I just have a brief narrative here that I wanted to read to you. Um, this project came before uh, concept design review on May 15, 2025. Um and that at this time OPED had reviewed um the site for uh consistency with the zoning code and they reviewed the architectural drawings. Um the we provided some feedback at that time and the applicant has since revised the submission to address the concerns raised during that review. Uh based on the updated material uh materials, OPED staff finds that the applicant has been responsive to prior feedback and at this time has no further concerns regarding the proposed development at 1:30 Hansenav. Um and then again, you have in your packet um what was provided in the staff report back to the applicant um for your uh convenience.

That's all I have. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Would anyone like to speak in favor of this application? Anyone opposed to this application? Okay. So, is anyone [clears throat] again this is just for please keep your comments to the coastal application, not to parking, overcrowding, whatever. It's only for coastal because that's what it's here for. Very good.

Uh good evening, commissioners. Uh thank you for your time and your commitment to the city. My name is Scott Burns, 29 Ames Boulevard. I am a representative from the 130th district on city council. Uh and I'm here with some residents. uh abuing residents of the uh building proposal uh parcel. Uh they do have uh petitions signed by abuing neighbors that I think they want to share. Do you have those? Oh, okay. Um yeah. You want to hand them out and then I'll speak first and then you may.

Okay. Um so thank you for your time. Um and I did hear uh Mr. Caddington speak to the compliance within the uh application. Uh our concern and I speak uh somewhat for the NRZ uh we don't have a representative officially from there tonight um but myself as well. Uh the concern is this is a parcel that is replacing a three family building that had been there before that had burned. uh and has apparently been cleaned up. Uh and that the replacement uh structure is six units with up to three bedrooms each and the density of that um raises some concerns and the other concern

uh speaking to the coastal uh is the fact that

so do you have any testimony that would o override John Goucher's opinion? My my our concern is that this is such a large building placed on an area which I know technically fits with the with the code, but nonetheless, this is going to be a a uh heavily um a densely settled building. And what's going to happen there there seems to be very little room for uh to for waste disposal. Um there's no room for parking. uh what little uh grass or or undeveloped area uh is ju just grass. There are trees that are there now that are helping with some of the uh coastal runoff and matters like that. Uh and so that's a major concern of what we have before us that this is an area that um is being squeezed in and as a result the concerns with coastal and other design issues um are are of concern. Okay, thank you.

Okay, the main concern is that this your name and address and again keep your comments to the coastal Joyce Goodwin, pardon me, ma'am. Joyce Goodwin and the address is 124 Hansen Avenue. Okay. The problem is that the area is had a three family there. A very narrow three family. It was a railroad flat. Um this is a humongous building going on a piece of property that a small three family was on. Okay. That that you haven't addressed the coastal.

What is the coastal? It's the the effect on the coastline, the water, the shore. Ash Creek basically a Yeah, this is purely how this affects Ash Creek. This isn't about the structure. They're comp. They have a right to build this building as long as it doesn't impact the coastal area. Even though it's from one side to the next side and nothing around. Yes, ma'am. And no place for dumpsters or or garbage ma'am disposals. Yes, ma'am. That those are all engineering concerns. And how about the parking? We have people parking on our driveways right now.

We have no parking regulations in the city of So where will the people park? I don't know. We tried to address that a couple of months ago, but it didn't go anywhere. They're parking on our driveways right now. Well, that's a police matter. What? That is a police matter. We know we call the police all the time and the cars that are there are ticketed constantly. So, how are we going to add more vehicles on the street that is completely full constantly? People want to

they've got I mean they there are we have no regulations. We have no zoning regulations regarding parking. That's all I can tell you. Well, it's not right. I don't know what's going to happen to these people and where they're going to park and where the garbage is going to be removed, how it's going to be removed because the garbage cans will have to stay on the front of the street. Again, that's not and that's not feasible.

That's not a zoning issue, man. Anything else? No, not okay. Thank you. Try, sir. Do you do you want to say something? No, I think that the parking is going to be an issue. You're adding six units. That's either six cars or 12 cars. I understand that, sir. But we have no we have we have no regulations allow us to do anything with you want to go to work people are blocking that drive

understand the people you go talk to these people they want to fight now you're talking the issue of violence on our street again so you're saying it's okay all I'm not saying it's okay I'm saying we have no regulations regarding parking all Thank you. Thank you.

Well, you really shouldn't come back, but I appreciate that. Um, again, we did submit a letter from the NRZ, or I should say the NRZ submitted a letter. Um, which I presume Mr. Bush passed along and we never heard back from the applicants in terms of making any adjustments. Um, again, because we do have a concern that this is uh overly built on this parcel and that the tiny little strip of grass is potentially an issue and you know the runoff because there's nothing on either side of the building and very minimal on the front. That's that's a concern which we were hoping would be addressed. And

sir, if they were if they weren't within the coastal area, you wouldn't even know about it. It would have been approved across the county and that's why we're here. [snorts] Thank you.

We rebuttal. Anyone else? Any Well, I don't Yeah. Anyone else? I think we heard all that. Anyone else want to speak against this? Okay. Rebuttal. Want to uh address the parking issue even if it's an as of right? No. Okay. You don't have to. Okay. You can if you want to, but you didn't want to.

Yeah. So, for the uh for the sanitary uh um so we do have places at the back of the building uh reserved for the uh uh for the dumpsters and the and trash collection. So, uh we're going to uh to push the uh the trash cans out uh at the time of the collection. So we do have a path designed for the uh the trash cans. So uh so that's uh that has been addressed on the on the site plan. Okay.

By the way, the the bridge pore get bigger and bigger and uh more and more people want to come to Bridgeport. There has limited the the space for people to live here. And uh I think the the place is is off Fairfield Avenue. It's very convenient for people to walk to the the stop shop. The Wendy's the the Fairfield Avenue is very a lot of business there. So it's kind of a lifestyle just like the city the maybe people live there they might do not need their car right they can walk everywhere that they can take the bus. Okay. All right. Thank you.

All right. This matter is closed. That's it, right? Oh, we got M the other Madison. We got Madison. Yeah.

Next item, new business. Item number 25-33, 2920, 2934, 2954 Madison Avenue. Petition of Natalie Napoli LLC and Stacy Desabella seeking a zone change approval from an N4 to an NX3 for the three parcels. Chairman, members of the commission, Chris Russo with Russo and Rizzio LLC here on behalf of the applicant um for the zone change application um to change the zone of these three properties uh to the zone that is surrounds this property. So all the abuing zones are in the NX3 zone and we're looking to switch uh these three properties to that same zone. Uh, I did receive a phone call from Councilwoman Lions um regarding this application and uh she asked that I continue it um to meet with uh some interested parties and some neighbors. Um we're always happy to uh to meet with Miss Lions and Councilwoman Lions um and neighbors. Um so we at this time would respectfully request a continuence uh to the next hearing where we hope to present this. a handwritten note I was talking

um that's fine but I bear in mind we do not have a December meeting so the hope would be to move forward okay continue to November

all right and that is They that item will be will not be heard tonight. It will be heard in November. They asked to have it continued. So for now well in in in your parliament yes it is not tabled which is a technicality. It's continued but yes for your understanding. Yeah, it's stable, but technically pardon me.

Okay. [clears throat]

Okay.

You'll have your opportunity in November. Actually, ma'am, you're out of order. The public hearing is closed. [snorts]

All right, we're under this. No, just keep going. Do what we do. Just keep going.

What's the date? The date is the normal November meeting, which is the last Monday in the 24th. November 24th. Yes, the public hearing is

the public hearing is closed. No more banter with the public. Is there a list of all the commissioners on this commission with their email addresses that is available now that I can take on the website? especially with that.

Well, actually according to you know First item is 130 Hansen Street.

Hansen Avenue. I'm sorry. Um uh properly moved and seconded. Oh, I didn't. Oh my goodness. You made a motion to approve. I can't hear. I can't hear with all the background noise. All in favor? I Anyone opposed? Who made it?

Yeah. Well, right. And you know, and it it met the coastal criteria. Seven. And we have eight. Oh, that's right. Oh, that because Ally came in after what? I didn't. Right.

Okay. All right. That's it. Well, no. Do we Oh, we have to vote on the continued motion to continue 25-33. Do I have a second? Oh, okay. All in favor? Anyone opposed? Continue to [laughter] continue to no continue to November.

I have some other business too, Paul. When you're ready.

Well, he got other business which is before June 30th. Okay.

[laughter] All of them in favor. Anyone opposed to the minutes or have any changes? Okay. Minutes are approved. Yes.

I'd like to propose that we put a moratorum on the self-service. um storage unit situation in Bridgeport for a year so that we could study it and make sure we're using um the proper areas of the city to put them in that the highest and best use for the properties and that uh we manage these things going forward. Our past couple experiences here have not been good with the public and I'm not quite so sure that we really want to continue the way we're going. So I'm asking that we put a small committee together, we study it and somehow in the next 12 months come up with a proposal more or less as how we want to handle it. So I'd be willing to chair the committee,

of course. Um have to go before the city council.

Correct. Uh we would want to and and have oped report to the committee. Yeah. And that Right. Bob brought up a good point. Do we have to do we have to address the city council issues first? No. Why not? What if we do and then they say another another excuse me another issue is if you have a quorum you have a meeting. Technically if you have a quorum you have a meeting. So if you have

if you have a committee of three or something like that maybe [snorts] four it's under you can have four.

Yeah. In in public Well, the situ it needs to be looked at. We're not saying we're going to do anything. We're going to review it. And I would keep it as simple as that. Yeah. Right. the the nuances of it and going forward on this. We have a count well that we can get OPD op to do for us and where they are. Yeah, that' be a good

because maybe maybe we don't want to do a moratorum. We may want to just locate them in different zones. I can see where are saturated. Well, I don't want to get into that. I think we got to study the talk about that. Right. That's exactly it. [laughter] Well, I'd like to know if anybody if anybody wants to volunteer for the committee, please. Excuse me. Pay attention, please. Do we want to volunteer for the committee?

Anybody? How about here? Just give me a hand. Are you a an al you're an alternate? Right. Yes. He's sitting right. Okay. Okay. Good. Right.

Do I have a second? All in favor?